About Duncan Ceramics

Welcome to the world of Duncan®,

where form and color merge with the imagination to create magic in every brushstroke!

FAMILY

Duncan® is a privately held, family-owned company located in the heart of Fresno, California. We’ve been a leader in the Ceramic Arts industry since 1946 thanks to our founder, Erma Duncan, a talented artist whose fired-art creations earned national recognition beginning in the early 1900’s.

A heritage brand that continues to value family, today Duncan® Enterprises is led by Larry Duncan, chairman. Our supporting team members bring an average of 12 years’ experience to their roles. A deep sense of family extends to our customers who are guaranteed the highest quality ceramic arts products backed by 70 years of experience.

QUALITY

Ceramic artists can spend a lifetime striving to achieve just the right color. At Duncan®, we do the experimenting so you can skip straight to fulfilling your vision. We’ve spent the past 70 years testing our glazes and underglazes to create the most accurate and reliable colors available.

We rigorously test every new glaze for color accuracy on multiple surfaces. Use our high-quality glazes and underglazes on clay products or on our ceramic bisque line.

We’ll supply the color palette – you bring the imagination!

HISTORY

In 1946, when Erma Duncan’s home-based studio where she taught ceramics became too small, the first Duncan® Ceramic Studio was opened in Fresno, California. Erma owned and operated the family business with her husband, Lee, and sons Bob and Dick.

At the new commercial site, wholesale distributing of ceramic products was added to the mix and first-of-their kind glazes were created and introduced.

After 23 years of sharing her ceramics expertise, Erma retired from the company. Thanks to continued growth and expansion, Duncan® Ceramics became Duncan® Enterprises in 1976, and by 1983, the third generation of the Duncan family was operating the business.

Duncan® Enterprises is proud to be a leading arts and crafts products manufacturer with an industry leading, worldwide network of distributors. Throughout its history, the company has remained committed to its core of ceramic arts under the Duncan® brand.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

At Duncan®, we attribute our longevity and success to our list of guiding principles. These underlying core values guide all our interactions:

Practice high ethical standards.

Respect people and their ideas.

Use education, training and recognition to empower team members.

Embrace constant change, improvement and innovation.

Be socially and environmentally responsible.

Achieve long-term success and profitability for all stakeholders.

We’re just as dedicated to these principles today as we were when we started our family business over 70 years ago!

About Us

Duncan Ceramics was founded in 1946 by Erma Duncan, a talented artist whose fired-art creations earned national recognition beginning in the early 1900s. Her passion for quality, reliability and innovation has made the Duncan brand a leader in the Ceramic Arts industry since its founding. Still a family owned company, the Duncan team remains committed to our core values in every product we make.